Program funding for NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants CIG for FY18 | USDA NRCS OK CIG 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NRCS OK CIG 001

The NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) opportunity for FY18 is a discretionary grant program run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), listed under CFDA 10.912, with the goal of pushing new, practical conservation ideas from the concept stage into real-world use in working agricultural landscapes. The central purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies that can be used alongside ongoing agricultural production, rather than separate from it. In other words, the program is designed to help farmers, ranchers, and other land managers test and prove conservation methods that improve natural resources while still supporting viable operations.

A key expectation of funded projects is that they will result in technology transfer and broader adoption. Successful proposals should be set up so that their results can be moved into the hands of agricultural producers, incorporated into NRCS technical manuals and guides, or picked up by the private sector for wider dissemination. Innovation under this program is not limited to hardware or equipment; it can also include new management systems and creative tools such as market-based approaches that encourage conservation outcomes through economic incentives.

The types of work typically supported by CIG include pilot projects, field demonstrations, and on-farm conservation research. Pilot projects and demonstrations are meant to show how a new conservation practice or system performs under real conditions and to generate credible evidence that others can rely on. On-farm conservation research is specifically defined in this announcement as an investigation aimed at answering a focused, applied conservation question using a statistically valid research design, and it must be implemented using farm-scale equipment on farms, ranches, or private forest lands. That definition signals that projects should be grounded in practical working conditions, while still meeting basic standards for research rigor so the findings are defensible and useful beyond a single site.

This FY18 opportunity was issued by the Department of Agriculture, Kentucky State Office, with a creation date of March 23, 2018, and an original application deadline of May 21, 2018. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $75,000, and the opportunity anticipated making about four awards, which suggests a competitive process with a limited number of funded projects.

Eligibility for this grant is broad and includes many types of public, nonprofit, academic, tribal, and private entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); individuals; for-profit organizations that are not small businesses; and small businesses. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity areas align with agriculture, environment, natural resources, and science and technology and other research and development.

In practical terms, a strong CIG proposal under this announcement would typically be framed around a clearly defined conservation challenge, a genuinely innovative approach to addressing it, and a plan for testing that approach in the field with measurable outcomes. Just as importantly, it would include a credible path for getting the results adopted by producers or incorporated into NRCS guidance or private-sector offerings, so that the project’s impact extends beyond the initial demonstration or research sites.

• The Department of Agriculture, Kentucky State Office in the agriculture, environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Program funding for NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants CIG for FY18" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.912.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 23, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 21, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $75,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for USDA NRCS OK CIG 001

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